kevinEats

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Go's Mart (Canoga Park, CA) [2]

One of LA's best, and certainly most unique sushi joints is also one of the most out-of-the-way. I'd first visited Go's Mart way back in 2007 after coming down from a dinner at The French Laundry. Despite the strength of that experience, I'd stayed away all this time due to the considerable drive out to Canoga, and as a result, our meal here once again came on the back of another BayArea trip.

An interesting note is that the VHS video rental aspect of Go's seems to be no longer, unsurprisingly given the advent of DVD, Blu-ray, and video-on-demand. However, Go-san's right-hand man Oscar is still at it here after 14 years (keep in mind that the placed opened circa 1997), though his other assistant Lino has seemingly been let go, replaced by a young guy named Tomás.

As far as Go's Mart's menu is concerned, the standard selections are fairly mundane, so clearly the way to go is to sit at the counter and order the omakase, drawn largely from the specials board and totaling $171.50 a head this evening. To drink, think an unremarkable selection of sake and beer (though I hear there's no corkage...). And yes, the check was presented on a Post-it note (charming). Click for a larger version.

Speaking of sake, we began with a bottle of the Kikusui Junmai Ginjo [$35], a commonplace, but very approachable brew that was viscous in consistency, with a strong melon character over a base of koji notes and a trace of alcoholic burn.

1: Salmon & Cucumber
Our first course brought together cucumber, sesame, and smoked salmon in commendable fashion, the heady, hefty flavors of the fish balanced by the bright, crunchy veggie, all while the sesame imparted a lovely nuttiness that overarched the entire dish.

2a: Suzuki [$7.00]
We moved right into the nigiri with this foursome. Sea bass was delightful, silky in texture, with a delicate taste that melded seamlessly with the truffle and lemon notes present, all while the back end was awash in the clean, minty essence of shiso.

2b: Kinmedai [$7.00]
The golden eye snapper (a.k.a. splendid alfonsino) was even better, with a meatier consistency and a more assertive flavor profile. Delish, and my favorite of the four here.

2c: Managatsuo [$8.00]
Butterfish was, as the name would imply, the lushest of the bunch, with a nice citrus counterpoint and a strong kick of wasabi on the finish.

2d: Kanpachi [$6.00]
Finally, the amberjack was the firmest, the crunchiest of the quartet, with the sweetest flesh and a subtle bit of shiso brightness toward the end.

3a: Kuromaguro [$3.00]
Next, we were presented a trio of different tuna preparations. First was the blue fin, a great preparation of the sushi staple with a good depth to it and a smart hit of garlic on the midpalate, while its finish was all about that wasabi burn.

3b: Kawagishi Toro
Here was a version of toro that I've only encountered here at Go's. Its basically tuna flesh that's scraped from the bone, resulting in a sort of paste-like consistency with no sinew at all--chewing wasn't even required. Mixed with soy sauce, it was rich and dark, with the crunch and astringency of the onion serving as a fitting foil.

3c: Toro [$10.00]
The toro proper was of medium fattiness, undeniably tasty with a bit of chew to it and a nice wasabi element to balance things out.

4a: Ebi [$8.50]
One the standouts for me was the blue shrimp, which arrived wonderfully snappy in texture, with a superb char character and salty kick from the caviar that went along beautifully with the savory-sweet flavors of the shrimp. Nice bit of wasabi zing here, too.

4b: Tarabagani [$10.00]
King crab was spot on: tender, sweet, and cool, with just a whisper of truffle goodness that paired in stellar fashion with the lingering salinity of the crustacean.

4c: Zuwaigani [$8.00]
Snow crab was similarly on point, arriving juicy and sweet, with a delightful consistency to it and a great touch of wasabi to focus the flavors.

4d: Uni [$6.00]
Go-san humorously referred to this as "Santa Barbara peanut butter," and he wasn't far off the mark with that description. It was a delectable presentation of uni, its creamy, sweet nature on proud display against the subtle truffle nuances in the course, all while salt added pleasing jolts of saline goodness on the palate.

5: Shrimp Head
The head of the shrimp above was then presented to us in fried form, a crispy, crunchy, utterly delicious course that showed off an almost instant ramen-like savor to it.

6a: Aji [$7.00]
Next, a duet of oily fish. Spanish mackerel was a shining example of the style, light and bright, with a growing fishiness along with an apparent sweetness from the goji berry.

6b: Saba [$6.00]
Meanwhile, the saba mackerel was much fuller flavored, and firmer in body, with a long, lingering brine offset by the use of ginger.

7a: Benizake
Sockeye was our first of two salmons, and was pretty amazing, with a great interplay between the truffle and the inherent fattiness of the fish, all while salt and wasabi added further points of interest to the course.

7b: Sake no Kunsei
Smoked king salmon was also to my liking, its woody, hammy savor working flawlessly with the moderating bitterness of the onion.

8: Ikura [$8.00]
Ikura was smooth and buttery, probably the lushest presentation I've had of the roe, but also showed off a smoky, saline character as well.

9a: Mirugai [$6.00]
Seared geoduck was lovely, with a great mix of crunchy yet supple textures and a focused brine that was dutifully offset by the burn of wasabi.

9b: Awabi [$5.00]
Baby abalone was great texturally, with a supple, yet satisfying bite to it and a veil of truffle-y flavors that made this one of the most unique presentations of awabi sushi I've had.

10: Ankimo [$5.00]
Go-san's monkfish liver was some of the most approachable I'd ever encountered, with a tangy sweetness initially that lead smoothly to the creamy, liver-y notes toward the finish.

11a: Anago [$6.50]
Sea eel was deep and dark, with a commixture of sweet and savory flavors that just worked.

11b: Unagi [$6.50]
The freshwater eel, on the other hand, was fattier, more luxurious, with a crispiness to it and a palpable, citrus-y, offsetting tang.

12: Watarigani no Temaki [$9.00]
The requisite blue crab hand roll was just as sweet, cool, and creamy as you'd expect, but with the added benefit of truffle, which added an almost intoxicating overtone to the course.

Supplement: Okoze [$7.00]
At this point, the set omakase was pretty much over, so we ordered a couple more courses to round things out. First was the okoze, which I'd actually never encountered before. Go-san called it a sculpin, though stonefish appears to be the more common translation. In any case, it was really quite nice, wonderful texturally with a subtle sweetness that paired well with the lemon-y and yuzukosho notes present.

Supplement: Seki Aji [$7.00]Seki aji's a special brand of the fish caught only from Japan's Bungo Channel, and is a real treat at sushi restaurants. The mackerel was light and delicate on the palate, with a tempering brightness from the shiso and a nice bit of wolfberry sweetness. It tasted pretty similar to the aji above, though.

Supplement: Hirame no Kobujime [$5.00]
Our last fish was a kelp-treated flounder done in the kobujime style. The result of the process was a denser, more complex tasting fish, one that went just swimmingly with salty-spicy flavors of the yuzukosho here.

Supplement: "Holy Cow" [$10.00]
We ended our savories with some beef sushi, which was as tasty and savory as you'd expect, with a fantastic lingering spice to it. However, I really would've preferred the meat rarer, so that I could've better appreciated it texturally.

13: Fruit Plate
Dessert comprised a simple plate of fruit, a sweet, refreshing close to the evening.

This meal really was a reminder of how good Go's can be. Certainly, the Chef's liberal use of truffle, salt, citrus, shiso, and other accoutrements may not be for everybody. Some may complain about authenticity even. Sure, I get it. I appreciate having the fish stand alone just as much as anyone else, but the little flourishes here really make the sushi some of the most interesting around, and really point toward Go-san's unorthodox, irreverent style. That's really what makes the place special, and one of the real gems of the SFV. Sushi fiends, Go's needs to be on your bucket list.

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Benu (San Francisco, CA) [2]

My dinner at Chef Corey Lee's groundbreaking Benu last year was memorable for two reasons. First, it was arguably my best meal of 2012; and second, it marked the only occasion where I'd forgotten to bring my camera's memory card(!). Given the strength of my experience here, I couldn't let the blog stand with those subpar cell phone pics, so a revisit was in order to give the food its proper due.

Benu's sole menu option this evening was a 17-course degustation priced at $180 per head, plus $150 for the always-superb beverage pairings of Head Sommelier Yoon Ha. Click for larger versions.

1: thousand-year-old quail egg, potage, gingerprager, grüner veltliner, federspiel, hinter der burg, wachau, austria 2011
We commenced with a course that looked humble, but was anything but. The egg itself was pretty fantastic, a spot on homage to the traditional delicacy, and went superbly with the included potage of bacon, cabbage, and cream, a hearty, comforting liquid that added a bit of heft to the surprising lightness of the pidan. The key here, though, was the use of the traditional accompaniment of ginger, which imparted a brightness that just lifted the entire dish.

2: oyster, pork belly, kimchiprager, grüner veltliner, federspiel, hinter der burg, wachau, austria 2011
A singular Beau Soleil showed off a masterful interplay between two complementary facets of richness between the belly and the oyster, but with the bivalve always managing to shine through despite the heft of the pork. I also really appreciated the hint of kimchi spice toward the back end, too. A great little bite.

3: salmon roe, eggplant, buckwheat, perillamatsuura, narutotai, namagenshu ginjo, tokushima, japan
Buckwheat was used to great effect here, imparting a tempering crunch to the smoky, salty combo of ikura and eggplant, while the perilla added well-placed pricks of mintiness to the fray. A harmony of disparate textures and tastes, and one that was particularly apt against the bright, racy flavors of the accompanying namazake.

4: anchovy, celery, peanuthitachino, red rice ale, ibaraki, japan
Next, we began a procession of four little courses, all presented on the same transparent serving piece and paired with Hitachino's always-satisfying, somewhat-funky Red Rice Ale. The caramelized anchovy was fantastic, capturing the essence of the traditional snack and showing off a deft blend of sweet and fishy flavors that were dutifully moderated by a hit of celery zing, all while the peanut served as the perfect nutty finish.

5: faux shark's fin, dungeness crab, caviar, rousonghitachino, red rice ale, ibaraki, japan
Chef Lee's famous faux shark's fin soup is off the menu (for now), but the main ingredient was put to good use here. Texturally, the "fin" was fantastic, adding a springy component to the growing intensity of flavors in the course, the sweetness of the crab masterfully offset by the subtle undercurrent of rousong savor.

6: "xo sausage" with basil curdhitachino, red rice ale, ibaraki, japan
I was tempted to go Alinea-style here and eat this hands-free, but wisely decided not to. The sausage, enhanced with the qualities of the legendary XO, conveyed a very pleasing depth and savor to it, one that paired just swimmingly with the creamy, herby nuances provided by the basil.

7: acorn beggar's purse with black trufflehitachino, red rice ale, ibaraki, japan
The last of the foursome was Benu's ode to the signature dish of 80's NYC hotspot Quilted Giraffe. Their beggar's purse came with crème fraîche and caviar, and was itself a riff on the French treat aumonieres. This version might've been even more luxurious: unabashedly savory, lush, and creamy on the palate, with a subtle, yet always apparent overtone of truffle that lasted long on the palate.

Bread, of course, was also something to behold. The multigrain variety here was wonderfully nutty, smoky even, with a delightfully crisp crust to it. However, the real star was that ginseng-honey butter, which married the zesty notes of the root with a fantastically lush sweetness that just paired with the bread beautifully.

8: almond tofu, green apple, chia seed
Our next course functioned as a sort of intermezzo, its bright, juicy flavors, herbaceous zing, and apple-y crunch providing a bit of a respite from the hefty flavors that we'd been experiencing.

9: cold noodles, pickled hearts of palm, shrimp roe, mintvon hövel, riesling kabinett, sharzhofberger, mosel, germany 2008
Pairing in stellar fashion with the vibrant acidity of the Kabinett Riesling were some of the best cold noodles I've encountered. I loved the umami-rich base of the dish, courtesy of the shrimp, a focused, almost profound thrust of ocean-y goodness that was keenly countered by the light, delicate flavors of the noodles and palm. Even better? The pin pricks of piquancy that were enabled by the use of ginger and mint. I wouldn't have minded going through a big bowl of the stuff!

10: lobster coral xiao long baoduchesse de bourgogne, flemish red brown ale, belgium
Next, we come to what has become perhaps Lee's most well-known dish, a masterful homage to the humble xiaolongbao. It was just so utterly, ridiculously xiang, an umami explosion (both literally and figuratively) with an incredible depth to it that satisfies in the basest ways possible. I'm not sure if I liked 'em with or without the vinegar (a wonderful foil to the paired Duchesse, by the way), but no matter, I'd love to demolish a whole bamboo basket of these beauties.

11: pig's head with lentil hozön and bönjiduchesse de bourgogne, flemish red brown ale, belgium
Also fantastic with the Duchesse was this schmancy souse, its stupendously porcine quality joined by countervailing hits of ferment-y, tangy, and sweet flavors, the result of the hozon and bonji now being produced by Momofuku frontman David Chang. Perhaps the best head cheese I've ever had.

12: whiting, crispy mushroom, haiga rice, burdock, charred scallioncuilleron, marsanne, les vignes d'á côté, rhône, france 2012
The whiting, surprisingly, just might've been my favorite course of the evening. The thing that struck me most about the fish was its texture, which I'd describe as firm, but springy, with an almost gelatinous quality to it that I found immensely satisfying. On the palate, it was delicate, nuanced, and really took on the mouthwateringly savory flavors of the accompanying rice, while the scallion added a fantastic jolt of smoke and astringency to the mix. And those mushrooms? Some of the best I've had--perfect.

13a: roast quail, lettuce heart, mustardcristom, pinot noir, sommer's reserve, willamette valley, oregon 2011
Getting into the more substantial courses now, quail was roasted beautifully, showing off two distinct, yet complementary facets of the bird in flawlessly done breast and leg presentations. Adding to this was a subtle undertone of sweetness that worked out really well, emphasizing the savory qualities of the quail, while the lettuce imparted a fantastically light, charred, counterbalancing quality to the dish. Delish.

13b: 25 head Kippin abalone from Iwate, 2008, potato purée, tender kale, braising jus [$230 supplement]el maestro sierra, oloroso sherry, jerez, spain
In place of the quail, diners also had the option of Kippin abalone from Japan's Iwate prefecture, oft considered some of the best in the world. Priced at $230 a pop, it was costlier than the entire rest of the menu, and quite easily the most expensive single dish I've had. The awabi was of the 2008 vintage, and was prepared by braising in a stock of chicken feet and pork neck for 18 hours. The result of all this was the best cooked abalone I've had--meaty and a bit gelatinous to the bite, with a great growing depth and complexity to it that was tempered in part by the potato and greens present. Also of note here was the wine pairing, with the Oloroso coming to us nutty and oxidative, and also super dry on the palate. What was interesting was how the Sherry seemed to become sweeter upon being paired with the mollusk.

14: beef braised in pear juice and charcoal-grilled, lily bulb, sunflower, fermented pepperclos st. jean, châteauneuf-du-pape, rhône, france 2008
Next, Brandt beef was braised overnight, resulting in a dish that one of my dining companions likened to an "elevated galbi." Texturally, the meat was tender, but not mushy, with still some structure to it, while its dark, bovine flavors worked faultlessly with the sweet-ish sauce and the whisper of spice toward the back end. The lily bulb served to balance out the sheer heft of the meat, and what I liked even more was the use of sunflower seed, which acted as a fantastic accent piece with its nuttiness and crunch.

15: shellfish consommé and raft, Jinhua ham, chrysanthemumblandy's, verdelho, madeira, portugal 1968
Benu's famed "shark's fin soup" may be off the menu now, but its rather profound broth was put to good use here, serving as a complement to the intensely ocean-y, briny flavors of the shellfish, while the whole shebang concluded with a delightfully peppery tint on the close. The wine pairing here was spot on too, the '68 Madeira conveying a surprisingly youthful exuberance with its trademark oxidative, nutty, and raisin-y qualities.

16: sake lees sherbet, strawberry, yuzu
The sweet stuff at Benu is now the charge of new Pastry Chef Courtney Schmidig, who comes to the restaurant from The French Laundry and replaces Christopher Bleidorn (who went to Atelier Crenn). She got off to a strong start here with this deceptively simple dessert. I adored how the funky, earthy, yet saccharine notes of the kasu was conveyed, set against the sweetness of strawberry with just a smidge of yuzu tang on the midpalate.

17: sesame white cake with salted plumuroulat, jurançon, southwest france 2011
Let's just say that we were all a bit shocked when an honest-to-goodness, old-school cake was placed on the table for our main dessert. It was a bit dissonant given the hypermodern aesthetic at Benu, but the contrast was pure genius, and we all appreciated the communal aspect here, of slicing and serving the cake to each other "family style." Concept aside, the cake was pretty damn good. The plum, however, really took it to the next level, imparting a salty/sour component that really worked wonders with the sweetness here. I'd love this in a larger size as a birthday cake!

Once again, Benu managed to impress, delivering a virtually flawless meal that showcased Chef Lee's deft hand in marrying his contemporary leanings with Asia's vast culinary playbook. The food effectively conveys and honors those traditions, but never verges on trite or contrived, utilizing just the right amount of modernist flair in the process. At the same time, deliciousness was never compromised, and the comforting, cozy flavors that one expects are present in all their glory, with only occasional dalliances in the overtly cerebral. And, as expected, beverage pairings were spot on as well, really linking up with the cooking in creative and effective ways. The Benu team is doing some great work here, and I'm looking forward to see where they all take this. Time for three stars?